Presented by Palace, the Spanish Film Festival returns with a strong lineup to celebrate 25 years of cinema with exciting, inspiring and entertaining viewing in two key programme strands: New Spanish Cinema and Cine Latino. See her for the FAQs. See here for Group Bookings and save. If you can't quite get a huge group together, but you're a Palace Movie Club Member ($0-$13.50) and a movie buff; see here for the ETicket Bundle and save. Dates in your state are as follows. If you've not picked up a hardcopy of the program, you can download it online here.
Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane: 14 June – 5 July
Melbourne, Perth, Byron Bay: 15 June – 5 July
Sydney: 20 June – 12 July
Four's A Crowd - Exclusive Preview
Wednesday 7 June 2023
Brisbane, Byron Bay, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney
Just a reminder about this box office hit comedy from Álex de la Iglesia. If you'd like to attend this special event, check it out here and make your bookings here and enjoy a sangria on the house on arrival.
The Festival opens with a teaser and a bang; first an exclusive preview as above, then comes Opening Night with the Premiere of a delicious Spanish box office hit comedy Too Many Chefs, starring Karra Elejalde and Enric Auquer. Just as a young and ambitious chef goes in search of his third Michelin star, his father who disappeared thirty years ago turns up complete with amnesia, and thinks no time has passed and he's still living in 1990. An old-school chef, he puts all his son's ideas about cooking and life to the test, just as he's about to reach for that star. Receptions will include drinks and tapas on arrival, followed by the film. Canberra, Melbourne & Sydney will also have an afterparty, so don't miss out!
For Closing Night you have a 40th-anniversary presentation considered one of the greatest dance films ever made and remains a classic of Spanish cinema. Carmen is a vibrant, emotional hymn to rhythm, dance and cinema. Legendary dancer Antonio Gades plays a choreographer who becomes involved with the production's lead dancer Carmen (Laura del Sol) and grows dangerously jealous. The choreography blends traditional flamenco dancing with contemporary dance styles an also features several famous flamenco musicians, including guitarist Paco de Lucía and singer José Menese.
There are many highlights at the Festival that includes a focus on Women in Filmmaking, featuring the work of seven prominent Spanish and Latin American female directors, a comprehensive Carlos Saura retrospective, a Uruguayan documentary with an Australian connection and much, much more. Let The Dance Begin is one of the special events driven by female director Marina Seresesky. It speaks of passions and desires that have laid dormant coming to life in a road-trip comedy filled with tango, music and adventure.
Special Presentation, Prison 77 is a five-time Goya Award-winner and Spanish box office hit. An intense thriller, it's set in Barcelona 1977. A young account is imprisoned and awaits trial. It's a time during the transition to democracy and he faces an extensive sentence disproportionate to the crime of embezzling the equivalent of 1,200 Euros. Aided by his cellmate, he joins forces with a collective fighting for the rights of prisoners. Together their movement unites all prisons in the fight for freedom and changes prison laws and society forever. Inspired by true events, it dives into the Spanish penitentiary system during a turbulent moment. It's also a tale of friendship, solidarity and freedom and not to be missed.
There are many more gems to discover, so be sure to check out the website or the downloadable program, and stay in touch via Facebook for updates. Most importantly book early as Festival film tickets go fast, especially the special events.
